Dear Editor,
Most everyone who reads my articles in the newspaper or posts the various media outlets, knows I attempt to entertain, inform, cause debate, and if necessary, cause change.
Most of the time, I sit back, read the posts or articles by others, and keep my views or opinions to myself.
Seldom do I write an article that challenges someone’s views or a post by someone? Of course, I will have to admit my most recent article which was published in various newspapers was about the Bureau of Land Management capturing burros in the Black Mountains.
BLM’s most recent capture of burros included 1,000 of these majestic animals, that were then transported to BLM holding pens in California and Arizona. What people don’t realize is they were then auctioned off or sold to the general public. Yep, BLM’s motivation wasn’t as they claim to save those animals from starvation, but for them to make a profit.
Now it is time for the real reason for this opinion piece – that’s the vindictive behavior, tirades, and innuendos exhibited by a sitting Mohave County official – District 4 Supervisor Jean Bishop.
It is my opinion that Bishop has a history of going after someone she doesn’t like or who has been challenged before for her views or decisions she has made. Just because she doesn’t like someone or a business, she initiates a vindictive effort to benefit a friend or attempt to close down a business. A prime example is when Bishop publicly stated that no business in Mohave County was shut down by them during the COVID debacle. That is untruthful by a sitting county official.
A public records request shows that at least four other establishments were targeted by the Health Department, based on information provided directly or indirectly by Bishop.
Bishop and a few county employees partook a lunch at a local Golden Valley eatery, and soon after they departed from this Golden Valley eatery, another county official showed up and gave the owner a “cease and desist order.”
Additionally, more than four establishments in Golden Valley were also targeted by the Health Department, based on information allegedly provided by Bishop.
The most recent decision Bishop made was during a Board of Supervisors’ meeting in which she voted yes to approve a rezoning for land in which Angle Homes wanted to construct 3,000 homes, even though there was an immense number of persons who were against it. For edification, the other three supervisors heard the concerns of the property owners in Golden Valley and voted no.
Another debacle by Bishop was when she, many moons ago, aggressively pursued Steven Latoski – Director of Mohave County Public Works , to pave the private 7-plus mile Legend Range Road. After the paving of the road had been completed, the road was then designated a County Highway. No one knows the real reason Bishop insisted on paving the road that had previously only had about 12 vehicles utilize it per day prior to the paving project, unless she believed it was to benefit a friend who owned a parcel on the road or a friend on the school board, who wanted to shave a few miles off the school bus route.
The latest tirade Bishop recently posted on a social media page was when she went after Jennifer Esposito, who is campaigning for the District 4 Supervisor seat. Because Esposito isn’t Bishop’s hand-picked successor for her seat she is vacating and Esposito has challenged Bishop in the past about her decisions, Bishop seems to go after her whenever she can.
Bishop recently had a post on social media questioning Esposito and how she is treating Munchkin, the First American Pig. She said Esposito’s pig was too hot at the events. First off, pigs don’t sweat as Bishop asserted. I was the moderator at the Golden Valley debate event and personally witnessed Esposito place adequate water in Munchkin’s cage that was on the stage. Besides that, Esposito periodically poured cool water onto the pig.
I honestly don’t know if anyone knows how many more vindictive behaviors, tirades, and innuendos have been perpetrated and exhibited by Bishop; only she knows.
Many constituents and property owners in District 4 are looking forward to the day Bishop retires from public service, mounts her trusty steed, and rides off toward the sunset.
Butch Meriwether
Vindictive behavior, tirades, and innuendos exhibited by a sitting Mohave County official
I am disappointed to see Mr. Meriwether write such slanderous lies and misleading statements. As a County Supervisor, I place a high priority on allowing the public to speak their minds, but Mr. Meriwether, a reporter that has the public trust must be held to a higher standard.
I understand compared to private figures, people in the public eye get less protection from defamatory statements and the Supreme Court has ruled that freedom of speech limits a public official’s ability to hold someone responsible for defamation but when someone criticizes an official in a false and damaging way, the official must prove the statement was made with “actual malice”. As a public official, I believe I could easily win a defamation case.
I recognize this letter is an attempt to support your chosen candidate by writing with reckless disregard for the truth and with actual intent to harm the District-4 Supervisor who is NOT running for re-election and has no “dog in this political fight”.
I have made public that I will not be endorsing any candidate and pray that the public does their own vetting and makes an informed decision on who will be the next Mohave County District-4 Supervisor.
I am so glad you have decided to step down….I supported you in your first run and almost immediately was sorry and have been since. My fear is who you are going to push for to be your successor. I have watched politics in the county since 1992… and am tired of the ” good ole boy’s”… We need people who have no …. “my family has been here for….” there is so much stuff behind the curtains that the people never see that frankly makes me want to puke.
If memory serves, when Golden Valley residents protested rate hikes by local water company, Jean Bishop withdrew funding (County COVID monies) that were earmarked for a new well. She refused to respond to local residents and walked out of a Board of Supervisor’s meeting in a manner befitting a cranky two year old. Jennifer Esposito’s outspoken and honest concern for the community seems to bring out the worst in Bishop, who’s concerns appear to lie somewhere other than the well being of her constituents.
A thanks to all of you for your input.
VINDICTIVE BEHAVIOR in Golden Valley
Recently, Golden Valley fundraising guru Greag “Butch” Meriweather who is acting as a moderator for debates between candidates and is supposed to remain impartial submitted an article to several Mohave County news outlets regarding a defense of a supervisor candidate Jennifer Esposito and also decided to publicly attack supervisor Jean Bishop following in the footsteps of Esposito; This public support in defense of a candidate makes the reader wonder if anything nefarious is going on in the electoral process, seeing as the “moderator” is obviously playing favorites and appears to be “white knighting” a helpless damsel in distress (who isn’t so helpless) which is very nobel of him; however it appears to be another witchhunt and an Animal Farm “Napoleon vs snowball” effect and perhaps an interference with the process of an election. This defense is towards a person who wreaked havok on Quartzsite Arizona some years ago and is now doing the same in Mohave County; she was accused on 10/3/2012 of allegedly stealing from Patricia Workman. a client/attorney confidential document to publicly disseminate. And on 4/25/2013 was ousted from the planning and zoning commission; Esposito often points out how much money the county has spent however; I wonder how many thousands of taxpayer dollars have been spent on legal defense of Espositos assumptions and accusations on her judicial fishing expeditions. I suspect the amount tax payers had to pay would be half a million bucks, maybe more. Talk about waste of tax dollars! How much money has Jennifer, Jade, Jones, Marie, Sue, Harris, Esposito cost this county? I hate to think about how much more money Esposito will cost this county should she sit in a supervisor seat. It is of my “opinion” that (according to his Linedin account) “Private investigator” Greag Meriweather need not participate in anymore moderator jobs regarding these 2024 elections because of his biased opinions.